My Gas Grill Set Up - Firebricks With Pictures

[PizzaEater101]

PizzaEater101,

Your recent pie looks good!    I once had a problem with the bottom of the pizza burning and I put a metal container under the bottom, after the bottom crust was finished and then kept baking.  That solved the problem for me. 

Norma

Norma, thanks for the compliment on the pie. Thanks for the tip on keeping it from burning.  I am going to give that a go because if I can keep on making a 14 inch then I'll be so happy.  Thanks much!

[norma427]

PizzaEater101,

These are the links where I got the tips to use something under the pie, so it wouldn’t burn.

http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,11133.msg102647.html#msg102647

http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,11133.msg102681.html#msg102681

Hope something under your pie after it is baked enough, will also help you. 

Norma

[PizzaEater101]

Thanks for the links.  I'm going to read them.  I am pretty sure your metal pan under the pie would be perfect.  I will first though try to not heat it us as long but I will have the metal ready.  Thanks!

[norma427]

Thanks for the links.  I'm going to read them.  I am pretty sure your metal pan under the pie would be perfect.  I will first though try to not heat it us as long but I will have the metal ready.  Thanks!

PizzaEater101,

The pan under the pizza did work well for me when the firebricks were too hot.

Best of luck! 

Norma

[chickenparm]

Hey Buddy,

I tried to call the local Mall and they did not answer the phone.I do know it was near closing time in the food court so I will try earlier tomorrow.

I live 30 miles from the closest Mall,so I'm not going to drive there,waste time and gas,just to have them tell me NO.I will tell them that when I called Sbarro's customer line,they told me to go buy one from my local mall chain near me since they no longer sold them online.(this is a truth there,the service rep told me they do not sell them anymore online but can get it from a local chain)

If they Still refuse to sell me a can,I will ask them for their name and tell them I will report them for refusing to do so.I do not think they will say no.If they do,that is bad customer PR if you ask me.

There is only one Sbarro's near my home and one mall and thats 30 miles....After that,its a 90+ or more mile drive anywhere else to another mall or so.

Hope it works out for me as well.Funny,they gave a woman a big discount...nothing new.If you had a vagina,you would have gotten it for less too.
 

15 bucks isnt too bad...Just be sure to freeze some for future use.
 

[PizzaEater101]

chickenparm,

I hope you get to buy a can because man it makes for some good pizza.  Well if the customer service person told you to go to the Sbarro at the mall then the manager has to sell it to you.  Make sure he does not charge you more than the price of the cheese pizza.  If he tries it say that you know someone who bought it for $15.50 plus tax, the price of the pizza.  I'm sure they'll sell it to you.

They did not answer the phone, that sounds right.  I hate that about the Sbarros, sometimes they don't anwer.  I called a few in my area and only one answered and it was during business hours.  I don't know why they do that. 

[PizzaEater101]

chickenparm, while your at it see if they'll sell you some pizza dough balls. Not sure if you want to do that but just saying if you don't mind finding out if they'll sell you some.

[PizzaEater101]

PizzaEater101,

The pan under the pizza did work well for me when the firebricks were too hot.

Best of luck! 

Norma

Thanks Norma!  I'm gonna make a pizza maybe Friday or the weekend.  Made enough recently.  I'm gonna run more test.  I got a notebook to take notes on my pizza experiences and try to get down the best of the best that I discover by practicing on pizza and by reading this board.

[PizzaEater101]

I am going to buy a pizza screen to help prevent burning.

This is what I found -

1) the 12 inch pizza bakes fine.  The bottom of the pie is nicely browned but not burnt. 

2) the 12 inch pizza top is cooked just fine with the right amount of charring.   This is because there are less bricks in the gas bbq grill so there is enough airflow to cook the top at the right amount of time to bake the bottom. 

3) the 14 inch pizza bottom will bake faster than the top because the top is not getting enough airflow because there are more bricks blocking the airflow.   The bricks come within one inch or less of the sides of the grill therefore blocking airflow.  I do believe there is enough airflow to cook the top but it will take longer due to the fact that there is less free space to push more air through the dome area.  So it just will cook the top slower and if I do that then the bottom burns.

I made another 14 inch yesterday.  Was planning on trying on the weekend but though oh heck just make another for the purpose of experimentation and studies.  The bottom did not get burnt but tha'ts only because I saw that it was about too so I pulled it off.  The top did not get cooked enough.  I was going to do what Norma suggest a metal pan below but I did not.  The top cheese was barely done enough but the crust on top did not have enough char on it.  I wanted to see how it taste with the top not charred.  The bottom was fine but the taste of the pie was not as good as the 12 inch pies that are perfectly done with the char on top and cooked bottom. 

So I have a few choices here -

1) go back to a 12 inch pie since there is more airflow through the dome and the top and bottom cook about the same rate.

2) put a pan underneath when the bottom is done and let the top cook.  This is the 14 inch pie I am talking here.   Instead of a pan I think I'll use a screen.  I saw the links that Norma gave me and I see that success was had using a pizza screen.

I will though make a 12 inch pie again this weekend and see if it was just a fluke the other day when the 12 inch turned out perfect or if the 12 inch pie turns out perfect again.  If it does then I know the top and bottom cook pretty evenly because the bottom on the firebricks is hot enough to give me the slight char without burning while the top has enough airflow due to the fact there are less bricks taking up space that the air needs to flow.

One I establish whether or not the pizza cooks evenly with the 12 inch then I will go back to experiment with a 14 inch using a pizza screen.   That is if the 12 inch cooks and bakes evenly then I will know that the problem with the 14 inch is airflow or lack of and needs to be on a few minutes longer for the top to char slightly, therefore I need the screen to allow the top to cook and char without the bottom burning.  I knew yesterday the bottom was on the verge of burning had I left it on longer for the top to cook more.  Because the top was not charged or crispy enough it made me not like it as much as I should.  The 12 inch the other day was perfection in my eyes and for my taste.   

How did I know the bottom was on the verge of burning had I left it on longer and how do I know the top would char to the right amount if left on longer even though not enough air flow?  Well the bottom was not burnt just from experience I could sense that any longer on the firebricks burning was up next.  Last time it burnt the bottom or half of it so I could tell.  Also the top was on the verge of getting to the point where it would char the right amount.  I could sense it and from experience I knew that.

I have some left overs and I love next day pizza.  So I am going to put some in the regular oven and see how it turns out.  Maybe the top will cook more and the second day pizza will be great.

[PizzaEater101]

What do you think of this pizza screen?  Good for what I want?

http://www.pizzaequipmentworld.com/pizzascreens.html?aw&1

[Jet_deck]

If your serious about cooking the larger pizzas on the gas grill, here are my suggested modifications.
1)  Find a friend or make a friend with a tile saw or masonry blade on a skil saw or grinder.
2) cut them to the round shape (red)
3) move the round circle of firebrick as far to the front as you can. (green)
4) put down a triple layer of foil around the front and sides of the firebrick (yellow)

Thusly, you are forcing the hot air under the stone, to the back, then up over the firebrick, out the front.  The final element would be to add some heat deflectors (blue) to encourage the superhot, super convected air down toward the pizza. Carry on.

[PizzaEater101]

Jet, thank you for the great suggestions.  I'll have to find someone to do the cutting for me.  If I can't find someone like that I might buy a kiln shelf made of cordierite in the round shape already that is 14 inch.  Whether I find someone to cut the bricks or I have to buy a cordierite in that shape I'll do your suggestions about moving forward and the foil. It worked fine with the 12 inch setup but the 14 inch blocked too much moving air to the dome.  I think cutting them as you suggest will open up a lot of room for air flow which will cook the top a similar time frame as the bottom because the 12 inch did and it worked great.


Thanks much

[PizzaEater101]

Jet, I like the ideas of deflectors but I don't know how to do that.  What are deflectors made of and how do I hang them? Thanks.

[c0mpl3x]

you can also use a caping chisel to score the bricks, and one or two firm straight down hits should crack them the rest of the way.  be sure to etch both sides though

[PizzaEater101]

you can also use a caping chisel to score the bricks, and one or two firm straight down hits should crack them the rest of the way.  be sure to etch both sides though

Thanks for the tip on that.  I might give that a go.

[Jet_deck]

Jet, I like the ideas of deflectors but I don't know how to do that.  What are deflectors made of and how do I hang them? Thanks.

Start reading here :http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,11126.msg110685.html#msg110685

[c0mpl3x]

Thanks for the tip on that.  I might give that a go.

will cost you about $10, but there is many masonry contractors that still prefer hand caped stone for complex tie-ins and one off custom jobs (i personally know a guy like this) .  just have to be really damn good at your job, and it's a skill thats dying off thanks to modern technology.

[PizzaEater101]

Start reading here :http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,11126.msg110685.html#msg110685

Thanks for the link.

[PizzaEater101]

will cost you about $10, but there is many masonry contractors that still prefer hand caped stone for complex tie-ins and one off custom jobs (i personally know a guy like this) .  just have to be really damn good at your job, and it's a skill thats dying off thanks to modern technology.

I didn't know that.  I'm going to check with my neighbor who is not a construction worker but is a contractor for construction sites.  He might get me someone to do this for me.

[c0mpl3x]

its really easy to do yourself.

http://herks.com/herks.com/htmldocs/Tools.html